The Suns are into the 2026-27 season with more questions than answers, and FanSided’s NBA99 ranking only sharpens the unease around Phoenix. The list of the league’s top 99 players paints a pretty stark picture: the Suns have just two names on it, both of them veterans, while the rest of the NBA keeps getting younger and deeper.
Devin Booker remains the headliner. He came in at No. 16 after earning his fifth career All-Star nod a season ago, which keeps him firmly among the league’s elite. Dillon “The Villain” Brooks also made the cut at No. 92, a placement that came after a push from some notable supporters for his own All-Star recognition, though he ultimately missed out.
That’s the full Suns representation.
For a team coming off a 45-win season, there’s still plenty to sort through. Can Phoenix match that total again, or does regression wait around the corner?
What happens now that Miles Bridges is in the mix and Jalen Green is healthy? And how will young centers Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach respond with Mark Williams sidelined?
The bigger issue is what the ranking says about where Phoenix sits in the league’s broader landscape. The NBA is moving toward younger stars, and the Suns don’t have one in this group. Their top two players will both be 30 years old by the end of October, and neither Booker nor Brooks is part of a youth movement.
That gap matters when you look at the names around them. The ranking includes players under 25, along with rookies like Cameron Boozer at No.
65, Darryn Peterson at No. 85, AJ Dybantsa at No. 95, and Caleb Wilson at No.
- Toumani Camara, now 26 and with Portland after being traded by Phoenix in the Deandre Ayton deal, also lands ahead of Brooks at No.
Phoenix also spent another unprotected first-round pick this summer to bring in Bridges, who doesn’t appear in the top 99 and is heading into a contract year. That leaves the Suns with aging stars, no young cornerstone in the ranking, and little draft capital to help if the current formula starts to crack.
Booker and Brooks give the Suns two worthy names on the list. But the larger message is harder to ignore: the league is moving forward, and Phoenix doesn’t have much young talent to keep pace.
In Other News...
Suns Could Be Walking Into A Tougher Portland Opener Than Expected
The Suns 2026-27 opener in Portland already looks like it could carry a little more bite than a typical season-opening road game. The Trail Blazers have overhauled their roster in a major way, headlined by the arrival of Ja Morant and Damian Lillards return from injury, and they now have Mike Nouri in place as their new head coach. For Phoenix, that means a first look at a team that may be trying to prove it is no longer just a rebuilding opponent.
Jeremy Brener points to a Portland group that could be dangerous offensively while still sorting out some defensive questions, which is the kind of mix that can make an opener tricky to predict. Scoot Henderson and Robert Williams III are part of the broader picture too, and with Blazers fans likely to give the building plenty of energy, the Suns may be stepping into a tougher atmosphere than the schedule line suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Center Battle Just Got More Interesting With Khaman Maluach
Khaman Maluach has turned the Suns center competition into one of the more interesting early storylines around Phoenix. Tim Legler singled him out on the All NBA Podcast for the way he carried himself during Summer League, and that kind of praise matters for a young big still trying to carve out his place. Add in the growth he has shown defensively and from three-point range in Summer League and preseason, and it is easy to see why the Suns are paying close attention.
Jordan Ott has already made it clear Maluach is still in the mix to start on opening night, which only adds to the intrigue. He has also handled the opportunity the right way, working with Devin Booker and embracing a team-first approach as he learns the NBA game. For Phoenix, the question is no longer just whether Maluach belongs in the picture, but how far his development can push him in a crowded battle. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Open With One Big Question About Their New Look Around Booker
The Suns are back in Portland for the first meeting with the Trail Blazers since the Play-In Tournament in April, and this time the conversation around Phoenix has shifted to how the roster fits around Devin Booker. After an offseason that included bringing in Miles Bridges and drafting Koa Peat, the Suns are trying to add more size and force inside while still keeping enough perimeter punch to stay dangerous on the wing.
One spot still looks unsettled, though, and it could shape how Phoenix looks right out of the gate. Mark Williams injury has left the Suns without a firm answer at starting center, with Oso Ighodaro expected to get the nod in Portland, a reminder that for all the changes around Booker, this group is still sorting out its frontcourt identity. [Read more 🡒]